Ventilator leak compensation

ABSTRACT

A ventilator including a pneumatic system for providing and receiving breathing gas, and a controller operatively coupled with the pneumatic system. The controller is operable to control circulation by the pneumatic system of breathing gas to and from a patient, and to adjust at least one of a volume and pressure of breathing gas delivered to the patient, such adjustment being based upon elastic properties of a component used to fluidly couple the pneumatic system to a patient.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No. 61/041,070 which was filed on Mar. 31, 2008, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present description pertains to ventilator devices used to provide breathing assistance. Modern ventilator technologies commonly employ positive pressure to assist patient ventilation. For example, after determining a patient-initiated or timed trigger, the ventilator delivers a specified gas mixture into an inhalation airway connected to the patient to track a specified desired pressure or flow trajectory, causing or assisting the patient's lungs to fill. Upon reaching the end of the inspiration, the added support is removed and the patient is allowed to passively exhale and the ventilator controls the gas flow through the system to maintain a designated airway pressure level (PEEP) during the exhalation phase. Other types of ventilators are non-triggered, and mandate a specified breathing pattern regardless of patient effort.

Modern ventilators typically include microprocessors or other controllers that employ various control schemes. These control schemes are used to command a pneumatic system (e.g., valves) that regulates the flow rates of breathing gases to and from the patient. Closed-loop control is often employed, using data from pressure/flow sensors.

Many therapeutic settings involve the potential for leaks occurring at various locations on the ventilator device. The magnitude of these leaks can vary from setting to setting, and/or dynamically within a particular setting, dependent upon a host of variables. Leaks can impair triggering (transition into inhalation phase) and cycling (transition into exhalation phase) of the ventilator; and thus cause problems with patient-device synchrony; undesirably increase patient breathing work; degrade advisory information available to treatment providers; and/or otherwise compromise the desired respiratory therapy.

Accordingly, attempts have been made in existing control systems to compensate for leaks in ventilator components. Though some benefits have been achieved, prior compensation mechanisms typically are predicated on simplified assumptions or limited information, which limits the ability to accurately and dynamically account for system leaks in general and instantaneous leak rates in particular.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a ventilator.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts control systems and methods that may be employed with the ventilator of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict exemplary tidal breathing in a patient, and examples of pressure/flow waveforms observed in a ventilator under pressure support with and without leak condition. Under leak condition, the inhalation flow is the total delivered flow including the leak flow and the exhalation flow is the output flow rate measured by the ventilator and excludes the exhaled flow exhausted through the leak.

FIGS. 4A and 4B depict an example embodiment of the patient interface shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary method for controlling the ventilator of FIG. 1, including a method for compensating for leaks in ventilator components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a ventilator 20 according to the present description. As will be described in detail, the various ventilator system and method embodiments described herein may be provided with control schemes that provide improved leak estimation and/or compensation. These control schemes typically model leaks based upon factors that are not accounted for in prior ventilators, such as elastic properties and/or size variations of leak-susceptible components. The present discussion will focus on specific example embodiments, though it should be appreciated that the present systems and methods are applicable to a wide variety of ventilator devices.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 1, ventilator 20 includes a pneumatic system 22 for circulating breathing gases to and from patient 24 via airway 26, which couples the patient to the pneumatic system via physical patient interface 28 and breathing circuit 30. Breathing circuit 30 could be a two-limb or one-limb circuit for carrying gas to and from the patient. A wye fitting 36 may be provided as shown to couple the patient interface to the breathing circuit.

The present systems and methods have proved particularly advantageous in non-invasive settings, such as with facial breathing masks, as those settings typically are more susceptible to leaks. However, leaks do occur in a variety of settings, and the present description contemplates that the patient interface may be invasive or non-invasive, and of any configuration suitable for communicating a flow of breathing gas from the patient circuit to an airway of the patient. Examples of suitable patient interface devices include a nasal mask, nasal/oral mask (which is shown in FIG. 1), nasal prong, full-face mask, tracheal tube, endotracheal tube, nasal pillow, etc.

Pneumatic system 22 may be configured in a variety of ways. In the present example, system 22 includes an expiratory module 40 coupled with an expiratory limb 34 and an inspiratory module 42 coupled with an inspiratory limb 32. Compressor 44 is coupled with inspiratory module 42 to provide a gas source for ventilatory support via inspiratory limb 32.

The pneumatic system may include a variety of other components, including sources for pressurized air and/or oxygen, mixing modules, valves, sensors, tubing, accumulators, filters, etc. Controller 50 is operatively coupled with pneumatic system 22, signal measurement and acquisition systems, and an operator interface 52 may be provided to enable an operator to interact with the ventilator (e.g., change ventilator settings, select operational modes, view monitored parameters, etc.). Controller 50 may include memory 54, one or more processors 56, storage 58, and/or other components of the type commonly found in command and control computing devices. As described in more detail below, controller 50 issues commands to pneumatic system 22 in order to control the breathing assistance provided to the patient by the ventilator. The specific commands may be based on inputs received from patient 24, pneumatic system 22 and sensors, operator interface 52 and/or other components of the ventilator. In the depicted example, operator interface includes a display 59 that is touch-sensitive, enabling the display to serve both as an input and output device.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts exemplary systems and methods of ventilator control. As shown, controller 50 issues control commands 60 to drive pneumatic system 22 and thereby circulate breathing gas to and from patient 24. The depicted schematic interaction between pneumatic system 22 and patient 24 may be viewed in terms of pressure and/or flow “signals.” For example, signal 62 may be an increased pressure which is applied to the patient via inspiratory limb 32. Control commands 60 are based upon inputs received at controller 50 which may include, among other things, inputs from operator interface 52, and feedback from pneumatic system 22 (e.g., from pressure/flow sensors) and/or sensed from patient 24.

In many cases, it may be desirable to establish a baseline pressure and/or flow trajectory for a given respiratory therapy session. The volume of breathing gas delivered to the patient's lung and the volume of the gas exhaled by the patient are measured or determined, and the measured or predicted/estimated leaks are accounted for to ensure accurate delivery and data reporting and monitoring. Accordingly, the more accurate the leak estimation, the better the baseline calculation of delivered and exhaled volume as well as event detection (triggering and cycling phase transitions).

FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B may be used to illustrate and understand leak effects and errors. As discussed above, therapy goals may include generating a desired time-controlled pressure within the lungs of patient 24, and in patient-triggered and -cycled modes, achieve a high level of patient-device synchrony.

FIG. 3A shows several cycles of flow/pressure waveforms spontaneous breathing under Pressure Support mode with and without leak condition. As discussed above, a patient may have difficulty achieving normal tidal breathing, due to illness or other factors.

Regardless of the particular cause or nature of the underlying condition, ventilator 20 typically provides breathing assistance during inspiration and exhalation. FIG. 3B shows an example of flow waveform under Pressure Support in presence of no leak as well as leak conditions. During inspiration more flow is required (depending on the leak size and circuit pressure) to achieve the same pressure level compared to no leak condition. During exhalation, a portion of the volume exhaled by the patient would exit through the leak and be missed by the ventilator exhalation flow measurement subsystem. In many cases, the goal of the control system is to deliver a controlled pressure or flow profile or trajectory (e.g., pressure or flow as a function of time) during the inspiratory phase of the breathing cycle. In other words, control is performed to achieve a desired time-varying pressure or flow output 62 from pneumatic system 22, with an eye toward causing or aiding the desired tidal breathing shown in FIG. 3A.

Improper leak accounting can compromise the timing and magnitude of the control signals applied from controller 50 to pneumatic system 22 especially during volume delivery. Also, lack or inaccurate leak compensation can jeopardize spirometry and patient data monitoring and reporting calculations. As shown at schematic leak source L₁, the pressure applied from the pneumatic system 22 to patient interface 28 may cause leakage of breathing gas to atmosphere. This leakage to atmosphere may occur, for example, at some point on inspiratory limb 32 or expiratory limb 34, or at where breathing circuit 30 couples to patient interface 28 or pneumatic system 22.

In the case of non-invasive ventilation, it is typical for some amount of breathing gas to escape via the opening defined between the patient interface (e.g. facial breathing mask) and the surface of the patient's face. In facial masks, this opening can occur at a variety of locations around the edge of the mask, and the size and deformability of the mask can create significant leak variations. As one example, as shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the facial breathing mask may be formed of a deformable plastic material with elastic characteristics. Under varying pressures, during inspiration and expiration the mask may deform, altering the size of the leak orifice 61. Furthermore, the patient may shift (e.g., talk or otherwise move facial muscles), altering the size of leak orifice 61. Due to the elastic nature of the mask and the movement of the patient a leak compensation strategy assuming a constant size leak orifice may be inadequate.

Accurately accounting for the magnitude of leak L₁ may provide significant advantages. In order for controller 50 to command pneumatic system 22 to deliver the desired amount of volume/pressure to the patient at the desired time and measure/estimate the accurate amount of gas volume exhaled by the patient, the controller must have knowledge of how large leak L₁ is during operation of the ventilator. The fact that the leak magnitude changes dynamically during operation of the ventilator introduces additional complexity to the problem of leak modeling.

Triggering and cycling (patient-ventilator) synchrony may also be compromised by sub-optimal leak estimation. In devices with patient-triggered and patient-cycled modalities that support spontaneous breathing efforts by the patient, it can be important to accurately detect when the patient wishes to inhale and exhale. Detection commonly occurs by using accurate pressure and/or lung flow (flow rates into or out of the patient lung) variations. Leak source L₂ represents a leak in the airway that causes an error in the signals to the sensors of pneumatic system 22. This error may impede the ability of ventilator to detect the start of an inspiratory effort, which in turn compromises the ability of controller 50 to drive the pneumatic system in a fashion that is synchronous with the patient's spontaneous breathing cycles.

Improved leak estimation may be achieved in the present examples through provision of a control scheme that more fully accounts for factors affecting the time-varying magnitude of leaks under interface and airway pressure variations. The present example may include, in part, a constant-size leak model consisting of a single parameter (orifice resistance, leak conductance, or leak factor) utilized in conjunction with the pneumatic flow equation through a rigid orifice, namely, Q _(leak)=(leak factor/Resistance/Conductance)*√{square root over (ΔP)}  (1) Where ΔP=pressure differential across the leak site. This assumes a fixed size leak (i.e., a constant leak resistance or conductance or factor over at least one breath period).

To provide a more accurate estimate of instantaneous leak, the leak detection system and method may also take into account the elastic properties of one or more components of the ventilator device (e.g., the face mask, tubing used in the breathing circuit, etc.). This more accurate leak accounting enhances patient-ventilator synchrony and effectiveness under time-varying airway pressure conditions in the presence of both rigid orifice constant size leaks as well as pressure-dependent varying-size elastic leak sources.

According to the pneumatic equations governing the flow across an orifice, the flow rate is a function of the area and square root of the pressure difference across the orifice as well as gas properties. For derivation of the algorithm carried out by the controller, constant gas properties are assumed and a combination of leak sources comprising of rigid fixed-size orifices (total area=A_(r)=constant) and elastic opening through the patient interface [total area=A_(e)(P)=function of applied pressure]. Therefore, Q _(leak) =K ₀*(A _(r) +A _(e)(P))*√{square root over (ΔP)}  (2)

-   -   K₀=assumed constant

For the purposes of this implementation, at low pressure differences, the maximum center deflection for elastic membranes and thin plates are a quasi-linear function of applied pressure as well as dependent on other factors such as radius, thickness, stress, Young's Modulus of Elasticity, Poisson's Ratio, etc. Therefore, A _(e)(P)=K _(e) *ΔP  (3)

-   -   K_(e)=assumed constant

As ΔP is the pressure difference across a leak source to ambient (P_(ambient)=0), then we substitute ΔP by the instantaneous applied pressure P(t) and rearrange equation 1 as follows (K₁ and K₂ are assumed to be constant): Q _(leak) =K ₀(A _(r) +K _(e) P(t))√{square root over (P(t))}  (4) Q _(leak) =K ₁ *P(t)^(1/2) +K ₂ *P(t)^(3/2)  (5)

Also, the total volume loss over one breath period=V_(leak)=Delivered Volume−Exhausted Volume;

$\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} {V_{leak} = {\int_{0}^{Tb}{\left\lbrack {{K_{1}{P(t)}^{1/2}} + {K_{2}{P(t)}^{3/2}}} \right\rbrack\ {\mathbb{d}t}}}} \\ {= {\int_{0}^{Tb}{\left\lbrack {Q_{delivered} - Q_{exh}} \right\rbrack*\ {\mathbb{d}t}}}} \end{matrix} & (6) \end{matrix}$

-   -   T_(b)=full breath period

The general equation of motion for a patient ventilator system during passive exhalation can then be written, P _(aw) +P _(m) =R*(Q _(leak) +Q _(exh) −Q _(delivered))+(1/C)*∫[Q _(leak) +Q _(exh) −Q _(delivered) ]*dt  (7)

-   -   P_(aw)=airway pressure     -   P_(m)=muscle pressure     -   R=resistance     -   C=Compliance

Assuming that when end exhalation conditions are present a constant airway pressure is being delivered (steady PEEP), constant bias flow maintained during exhalation phase Q_(delivered), constant leak flow (due to no pressure variation), and P_(m)=0 (due to no patient respiratory effort), the equation of motion could be differentiated and reorganized as follows:

$\begin{matrix} {\frac{\mathbb{d}P_{aw}}{\mathbb{d}t} = {0 = {{R*Q_{exh}{dot}} + \frac{Q_{leak} + Q_{exh} - Q_{delivered}}{C}}}} & (8) \\ {{Q_{leak} = {\left( {Q_{delivered} - Q_{exh}} \right) - {R*C*Q_{exh}{dot}}}}{{Q_{exh}{dot}} = \text{time~~derivative~~of~~exhausted~~flow}}} & (9) \end{matrix}$ If Q_(exh)dot=0 equation 8 can be reduced to Q _(leak) =Q _(delivered) −Q _(exh)  (10) And subsequently, Q _(leak) =K ₁(PEEP)^(1/2) +K ₂(PEEP)^(3/2)  (11)

Otherwise Q_(exh)dot≠0. In this case, an appropriate duration of time ΔT is taken during passive exhalation period and assuming constant delivered flow, equation can be derived as follows:

$\begin{matrix} {{R*C} = \frac{\left( {{Q_{exh}\left( {t + {\Delta\; T}} \right)} - {Q_{exh}(t)}} \right.}{\left( {{Q_{exh}{{dot}\left( {t + {\Delta\; T}} \right)}} - {Q_{exh}{{dot}(t)}}} \right.}} & (12) \end{matrix}$ And, Q _(leak)(t _(i) +ΔT)=K ₁(PEEP)^(1/2) +K ₂(PEEP)^(3/2) =[Q _(delivered)(t _(i) +ΔT)−Q _(exh)(t _(i) +ΔT)]−R*C*Q _(exh)dot(t _(i) +ΔT)  (13)

Therefore, equation 6 and equation 10 and equation 13 may be used to solve for K₁ and K₂. These calculations may be repeated every breath cycle and applied over appropriate time windows (i.e. during exhalation) and breathing conditions to optimize parameter estimation and minimize the total error between estimated total volume loss and actual measured volume loss across the full breath cycle. The constants K₁ and K₂ may be stored and compared to track changes and update various parameters of the system such as the triggering and cycling sensitivities, etc.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary control strategy that may be implemented by the controller 50 to increase the accuracy and timing of the baseline breathing assistance provided by ventilator 20 and pneumatic system 22 for a variety of respiratory therapies. In this example, the method is repeated periodically every breathing cycle. In other examples, the dynamic updating of leak estimation may occur more or less than once per patient breathing cycle.

At 512 the routine establishes a baseline level of leak estimation and compensation. This may be a preset value stored in the controller 50 or may be updated taking into account various parameters of the breathing cycle and ventilator 20, such as the Positive End Expiratory Pressure PEEP, the set inspiratory pressure or flow/volume targets, the volumetric airflow delivered by pneumatic system 22, and type of the breathing circuit 30, etc.

The routine then proceeds to 514 where the feedback control (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3) is implemented. Various control regimes may be implemented, including pressure, volume and/or flow regulation. Control may also be predicated on inputs received from the patient, such as pressure variations in the breathing circuit which indicate commencement of inspiration. Inputs applied via operator interface 52 may also be used to vary the particular control regime used. For example, the ventilator may be configured to run in various different operator-selectable modes, each employing different control methodologies.

The routine advances to 516 where the leak compensation is performed. Various types of leak compensation may be implemented. For example, as shown at 518, rigid-orifice compensation may be employed using values calculated as discussed above. In particular, holes or other leak sources may be present in non-elastic parts of the breathing circuit, such as the ports of a facial mask (not shown) and/or in the inspiratory and expiratory limbs. Equation 1 may be used to calculate the volumetric airflow through such an orifice, assuming the leak factor/resistance/conductance is constant.

Elastic properties of ventilator components may also be accounted for during leak compensation, as shown at 520, for example using values calculated as described above. Specifically, elastic properties of patient interface 28 and/or breathing circuit 30 may be established (e.g., derived based on material properties such as elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, etc.), and employed in connection with calculations such as those discussed above in reference to equations 6, 10, and/or 13, to account for the deformation of orifice 61, as shown in FIG. 4B. Using these example calculations, constants K₁ and K₂ may be solved for and updated dynamically to improve the accuracy of leak estimation. In alternate implementations, the method may use any suitable alternate mechanism or models for taking into account the elastic properties of a ventilator component having a leak-susceptible orifice.

The routine then proceeds to 522 where appropriate baseline control commands and measurements are adjusted to compensate for the leaks in the ventilator calculated in 516 i.e. adjust appropriate control command and connect and/or compensate applicable measurements. In many settings, it will be desirable to regularly and dynamically update the compensation level (e.g., once every breathing cycle) in order to optimize the control and compensation.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments and method implementations disclosed herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various configurations and method implementations, and other features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. Claims may be presented that particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. Such claims may refer to “an” element or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof. Such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Other combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or through presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A ventilator, comprising: a pneumatic system for providing and receiving breathing gas; a component for fluidly coupling the pneumatic system to a patient, wherein the component comprises a leak-susceptible orifice that varies in size during operation of the ventilator, wherein the varying size of the leak-susceptible orifice is directly related to an applied pressure; and a controller operatively coupled with the pneumatic system, where the controller is configured to perform the following steps: control circulation by the pneumatic system of breathing gas to and from a patient, and adjust at least one of a volume and pressure of breathing gas delivered to the patient to account for leakage from the pneumatic system, such adjustment taking into account the varying size of the leak-susceptible orifice.
 2. The ventilator of claim 1, where the component is a physical patient interface.
 3. The ventilator of claim 2, where the physical patient interface is a facial breathing mask.
 4. The ventilator of claim 3, where the adjustment is based upon elastic and rigid leak properties of the facial breathing mask.
 5. The ventilator of claim 1, where the adjustment is based upon an elastic modulus of a material comprising the component.
 6. The ventilator of claim 1, further comprising an operator interface configured to accept operator input, the adjustment being dependent at least in part upon such operator input.
 7. The ventilator of claim 6, where the controller is configured to establish elastic properties of the component based upon the operator input at the operator interface.
 8. A ventilator, comprising: a pneumatic system for providing and receiving breathing gas; an airway including a physical patient interface and a breathing circuit for fluidly coupling the pneumatic system with a patient, wherein the airway comprises a leak-susceptible orifice that varies in size during operation of the ventilator, wherein the varying size of the leak-susceptible orifice is directly related to an applied pressure; and a controller operatively coupled with the pneumatic system, where the controller is configured to perform the following steps: control delivery of breathing gas from the pneumatic system to the patient; derive the varying size of the leak-susceptible orifice based on an elastic modulus of the airway and the applied pressure; and adjust such delivery for airway leakage by taking into account the varying size of the leak-susceptible orifice.
 9. The ventilator of claim 8, where the controller is configured to dynamically update a magnitude of the adjustment for airway leakage during operation of the ventilator.
 10. The ventilator of claim 9, where the controller is configured to dynamically update the magnitude of the adjustment during each of a plurality of breathing cycles.
 11. The ventilator of claim 8, where the physical patient interface comprises a facial breathing mask which at least partly defines the leak-susceptible orifice.
 12. In a ventilator having a pneumatic system and an airway adapted to fluidly couple the pneumatic system to a patient, a leak compensation method, comprising: providing a baseline level of leak compensation based upon a size of a leak-susceptible orifice in the airway; establishing elastic properties of a component of the airway containing the leak-susceptible orifice, wherein the elastic properties of the component are derived based on material properties of the component; adjusting the baseline level of leak compensation in response to a pressure sufficient to cause deformation of the leak-susceptible orifice, wherein the deformation of the leak-susceptible orifice is based upon the elastic properties of the component and is directly related to the pressure, and wherein a magnitude of the adjustment takes into account the elastic properties of the component.
 13. The method of claim 12, where the component is a physical patient interface.
 14. The method of claim 13, where the physical patient interface is a facial ventilator mask.
 15. The method of claim 12, where the component is a breathing circuit fluidly coupled between the patient and the pneumatic system.
 16. The method of claim 12, where adjusting the baseline level of leak compensation is performed during a plurality of patient breathing cycles.
 17. The method of claim 16, where the magnitude of the adjustment is dynamically updated at least once per breathing cycle.
 18. The method of claim 12, further comprising accepting operator input at an operator interface of the ventilator, and using such operator input in the establishing of the elastic properties of the component.
 19. A ventilator, comprising: a pneumatic system for providing and receiving breathing gas; an airway including a physical patient interface and a breathing circuit for fluidly coupling the pneumatic system with a patient; and a controller operatively coupled with the pneumatic system, where the controller is configured to perform the following steps: control circulation by the pneumatic system of breathing gas to and from the patient, and make dynamic adjustments in breathing gas flow to compensate for a leak in the airway, where such leak compensation takes into account rigid leak properties of a fixed-size orifice of the airway and elastic leak properties of a variable-size orifice of the airway, where the elastic leak properties of the variable-size orifice of the airway are directly related an applied pressure. 